If you're looking for a spot that actually values your time and money, do yourself a favor and skip the headache at Enzo's. After a recent nightmare there--where the management was more interested in the TV than the customers, the food was undercooked and bland, and we literally found bugs in our drinks--I've realized life is too short for bad service. ​Instead, head over to Chapala. It is the perfect alternative for families and friends who actually want a quality night out. Here is why it's worth the trip: ​Why Chapala is the Real Deal: ​Attentive Service: Unlike the "too-busy-to-help" vibe at other places, the staff and management here are genuinely friendly and professional. You're treated like a guest, not an inconvenience. ​Skilled Chefs: The food isn't just "okay"--it's excellent. You can tell the chefs actually know how to season and cook. Whether it's the fajitas or their famous enchiladas, everything comes out hot, fresh, and full of flavor. ​Clean & Maintained: You won't find burnt residue or "mystery bugs" here. The establishment is well-maintained and spotless, which makes the whole dining experience much more relaxing. ​Family-Friendly & Affordable: It's rare to find a place that hits that sweet spot of high-quality food at a price that doesn't break the bank. It's got a great vibe for a big group or a casual family dinner. ​The Bottom Line ​If you want authentic food, a welcoming atmosphere, and a team that actually takes pride in their work, Chapala is the spot. Save yourself the frustration of a "train wreck" meal elsewhere and go where they actually care about the clientele. read more

Came by on a Sunday morning. There was plenty of seating. Had the red and green chilaquiles with beans and potatoes -coffee. The chilaquiles were good, especially the green. Would recommend that the beans and potatoes be at the same temperature of the chilaquiles, on the warmer side. They were barely lukewarm. Couldn't eat them. The coffee wasn't hot enough either. Friendly, attentive service. read more

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The food is not what it used to be when it first opened. Does not taste like authentic Mexican food anymore! I've always ordered the chile verde burrito and have loved it. Went in last night and ordered it and was not good at all!! The meat was good but it's like they opened up a can of herdez tomatillo sauce and poured it over my burrito, used to come with beans and rice on the side, and a jalapeño, my plate just had a scoop of rice and had to ask for a jalapeño which they charged me $1.50. Salsa for chips also tasted like from a can. Sodas/Ice tea were $5.50. I now see why there are so many bad reviews. Was so disappointed!! read more

Chapala Mexican Restaurant - Chili Verde Burrito...Chile verde was straight from the can and they charged me for that jalapeño! - Mexican Near Me - Santa Paula, California

The food was authentic and fresh! Great service! We know good Mexican food and this is it! The dining room is clean and well maintained. We came here twice during our Ventura stay and if we come through this way again we'll for sure stop in! Our first visit, Rosa was our server. The second time it was Jeff. Both were excellent!! read more

Chapala Mexican Restaurant - All meat grande plate, so good! - Mexican Near Me - Santa Paula, California

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Every time I visit, their service seems to decline further. It's disappointing when I order soup and it arrives lukewarm. I try to give them another shot, but each time, the experience remains the same--unsatisfactory service. I wish I could find it in myself to trust them again, but after three attempts, each has ended in disappointment. read more

Food is always great no matter what time or day you go. Great service we were very happy with our waitress Kim she was so sweet nice and very friendly great service read more

Excellent Mexican food their Chili Verde is one of the best I've had. Service and atmosphere is great read more

Everything about Chapala is something to celebrate! The food is amazing and there's always a generous selection of dishes to choose from. I particularly like their albondigas soup, which is much more than an appetizer, it's a meal in and of itself. When they bring it to your table, it's always accompanied by a full plate of garnishes you can add to your soup. Onions, cilantro, radishes, tomatoes, chilis and wedges of lemon. I add everything to my bowl of savory tomato broth that also has big chunks of carrots and potatoes. Obviously, the meatballs are the star in this meal! They are big and full of flavor, tender, with just a little kiss of spice. We drive to Santa Paula just to get this soup, and it never disappoints! I'll let everyone else talk about their molcajete and the most delicious fajitas, but the soup is where it's at, for me. Try Chapala, you will NOT regret it, no matter what dish you choose! read more

We've been going here for years, and only recently we were really disappointed in the food not sure what happened but we ordered three carne asada burritos for pick up- and the burritos weren't like any burrito I've ever tried- the rice wasn't in the burrito but on the side with sour cream. The burrito itself just had a bunch of beans and chunky carne and grilled onions. They must have recently changed who was cooking the food. Which sucks because the food isn't the same. read more

Just love this place, we've been going for years including tonight. Food is authentic Mexican food. The service is wonderful. People are so friendly and the atmosphere is just amazing. Highly recommend this place. read more

The food is delicious and well served. We couldn't finish the Molcajete. My friend also got Jamaican and I got Cranberry Juice both were so fresh and not that sweet perfect to drink. The service was wonderful, they made sure we were happy with our food, always checking to see if we needed anything. The Ambiance is cozy with two big TV they had sports in it and also has a bar if you only want to have a drink. Lots of parking lot and it restaurant looks super clean. Recommended it. read more

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Four of us arrived at about 2pm on 10/15, a Wednesday. We noticed right away how clean the restaurant was, and we were greeted promptly. We were seated in a very nice booth. We ordered the dishes that we wanted, and they were delivered pronto. We all enjoyed our meals which were very delicious and abundant. The owner/manager & waitstaff provided excellent customer services. The restrooms were very well kept. Thank you for providing such a nice experience! We all want to visit again when we are next in Santa Paula! read more

Went to chapala 2/8/26 for breakfast business had 2 tables aside from my table seated. Waitress took over 10 min to take our drink order I had to flag her down and also ask for chips, salsa and napkins. When she took our drink order the drinks were incorrect. She took another 10 min to bring the drinks out while she delivered the drinks I advised we were ready to order she took our order then went and serviced 2 other tables which these customers came in during the time she was taking our drink order. We waited 30 min and still no food the other 2 tables had received there food and were eating I flagged her down and said why haven't we got our food she said oh you just placed your order I stated no we placed our order before those tables walked in she said you know I put in your drink order not your food . I stated we are leaving at this point we had been there 45 min she stated food could be made in 5 min I dont think so I said I'm leaving and not paying for our sodas either you call a manager she declined to call a manager stated we drank half the drinks we must pay I told her what were we suppose to do stare at them , this is her error she needs to fix it with the manager she stated I guess I'll pay for the drinks and my kids and I walked out. Bad customer service read more

Chapala sits at Harbor and 10th Street at the gateway to downtown Santa Paula. The dining area is spacious and comfortable, with room for small, medium and large parties. There is a banquet room available as well. Chapala serves a wide selection of dishes and has a full bar. Service is quick and efficient with friendly staff. My party of 6 was easily accommodated and enjoyed a variety of items. The complementary chips (prepared on site) and salsa are a delicious way to wet your appetite. Ask for the "picante" salsa, a sort of habenero/Chipotle mix that is very good. I had a crisp shredded chicken taco (again, house prepared shell) and chili relleno with whole beans. All were tasty and delicious! read more

Chapala Mexican Restaurant - Cadillac - Mexican Near Me - Santa Paula, California

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Empty restaurant and we know why. Food was tasteless. Items missing from our dinner. Had to ask for them. Will not return. read more

We have been here twice in the past two months. Both times we came at very different times, yet the experience was the same, quickly seated but no menus, chips and salsa given with no one coming back for 15 minutes, a drink order (one cocktail one glass of water), still no menus 15 minutes in, and didn't get the water for 20 more minutes after I had the opportunity to be able to ask again. Service was very slow, food was slow, my husbands food came out considerably sooner before mine. The entrees were good, I had Enchiladas Suizas both times, my husband had the chicken combo, BUT the beans are absolutely horrible! I never waste food, but didn't eat them or bring them home, they taste worse than canned beans so maybe just a super cheep brand, I don't know. There are so many good Mexican food places in SP, I think we will stick with the others. The booth seating is comfortable. The servers were very nice both times, more so towards the end when bringing the check, I don't know if it's training, or.... read more

Chapala Mexican Restaurant - Chicken Combo Plate - Mexican Near Me - Santa Paula, California

Amazing food! The sweetest staff! We had a very memorable meal and would come back if we're ever in the area. Very cozy lovely restaurant! read more

Chapala Mexican Restaurant - Papas Don Juan - Mexican Near Me - Santa Paula, California

This restaurant could significantly enhance their customer service. I acknowledge that mistakes can occur, but it appears that the waitress was not equipped to manage a large party. She consistently missed drinks, food orders, and the wait time was excessively long considering the food quality was literally 2/5 stars. Not to mention they provided us with a plate that was completely different than what i had ordered. I proceeded to checkout, I swiped my card got charged then the register lady informed me that the drinks were not included in my receipt, necessitating a correction. So she void it and had to recharge me. They could use a lot of improvement read more

Tacos de papa are the best in town. Service is quick sometimes when they are super busy you need to call twice

Six years since my previous review, and they are still a solid 4 stars. Six of us headed from the Santa Paula Theatre on a Sunday afternoon after watching an excellent matinee play. Choices on a Sunday afternoon before 5 are limited in Santa Paula, but fortunately, our friends reminded us of Chapala and the fact it also serves cocktails. We found parking spots in their private lot, and we were seated immediately. Rounds of their homemade chips and salsa appeared on our table. The drink service was quick, and then the hard part, choosing an entree from their six page menu. The ambiance is pleasant with typical serapes festooning the walls, inside is clean and fairly quiet with booths on the sides, and open tables in the center that can seat at least eight, so good for groups, plus they have a separate banquet room. The bar area only has a few tables. The drinks' alcohol content is fairly low, but drinks arrived quickly. Their horchata comes in a giant tumbler. Everyone enjoyed their ginormous entrees. read more

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Nice place to eat. I loved their carne asada plate. Service is awesome. I love the ambience of this place. Nice restaurant for the family.

It's been a miss the last few times with the service here . Servers were occupied with a large group which caused them to ignore the smaller tables . I had finished my chips and was waiting 10 min for a refill before I decided to just flag the server down. Poor service once again . Train your employees! read more

GETTING HERE: This restaurant is located on the corner of 10th Street and Harvard Boulevard in Santa Paula. Accessing parking can bit a bit wonky; I would recommend parking entering off 10th Street, across from the Chevron station. Trying to access parking off Harvard is sometimes difficult with traffic and lights. REVIEW: This is such good Mexican food! Every time I come here I am just more and more impressed. This visit was on a Friday night, surprisingly not too busy. My guest and I were seated quickly and were offered chips and salsa PDQ. I could live on their chips and salsa. True story. Ordered our drinks quickly, and I ordered a Virgin Pina Colada that was so good. So tasty! My guest ordered the shrimp tacos which he absolutely - l o v e d - and I ordered their Papas Don Juan. It was a hard choice between that and the Flautas. NEXT time the Flautas are on deck, but their Papas Don Juan were hot and loaded with all the good things. All around a great dining experience. I will report again v soon on their Flautas, believe me. :) Thank you Chapala! read more

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I had high hopes when I walked in. I was seated quickly and got my drink promptly along with some chips and salsa. The chips were good, but basically a bowl of crumbs. I ordered the carne asada plate medium rare and it arrived well done. Asked for silver ware twice and after I stood up and walked to the kitchen the waitress asked what I needed. I told her I've asked twice for silverware so I can actually eat! By now about twenty minutes has passed and my food was now cold. When I cut the steak I found it was over cooked. I flagged the waitress down and pointed out the meat was overcooked. She said I don't do the cooking and walked off. Meanwhile, I had finished my cup of water and had asked her three times for a refill which finally came along with the bill. The food was mediocre at best and the bill was outrageous $37. I left most of the food behind. I cut up the steak to take home for my dog and I'm not sure if he'll even eat it. read more

The service was rough (I think the server would've duked it out with my sister) for no reason but the food was actually decent despite their reviews; the portions are large, our food came out all together & hot. If you visit, be sure to get their homemade horchata as it is SO GOOD. My family all ordered micheladas or margaritas & enjoyed them. The ambiance is cute & clean. My step dad's major gripe was that they forgot his tortillas.. but see my pics ;) read more

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Mediocre food and service, premium prices. Also, the queso fundido essentially came out as a block of cheese in a vat of chorizo grease, got charged for tortillas to eat it with, and even the server said he almost told us how it wasn't good when we ordered it. Needless to say we won't be back. read more

Good/decent food, horrible service. Wish this place would get their act together. Saw a lady leave angry, looked liked nobody came to get her bill so she stormed out paying at the front. My food came out about 5 minutes after my wife's, warm and edible but just not hot the way it should be. Again the food is tasty , just terrible service especially when busy. read more

Came here twice. First time was good but we were the only people inside. Today was a second time. Stopped by today (Sunday) at 6:45. It was busy which is to be expected, but a few tables were available The host assumed my husband spoke Spanish so she blatantly ignored me. I told her we don't speak Spanish and want seating for 2. We were seated immediately without a word. You can be nice without saying a word - she was not. Chips came fast and we asked for water. 15 min went by with 0 acknowledgement, while other customers had their orders taken immediately by their waiters/waitresses. We had 0 clue who ours was. No one said "I'll be right with you". I Eventually I flagged down a girl who took our order. 5 min later, a woman asked us in Spanish if we're ready for food. I told her we don't speak Spanish, so she left. After placing our order with the girl, we got our food in a reasonable amount of time. The bean dip is good. Fish tacos (tacos de pescado) was great. My husband got the carne asada burrito which was meh- literally meat, beans, onions, and mushrooms. No cheese. Very weird. Very good prices but lots of room for improvement. Truthfully I'd like to give a 2.5. I want to love this place but the service was very poor. For all I know, 2 people may have called out who also speak English. I really hope that's the case otherwise they are severely short staffed. I'd only return on a weekday on the daytime when I know it's dead. read more

Huge menu to fit all tastes and delicious too. We had mole, rellenos and fish tacos - all tasty and large servings. Pleasant atmosphere and service read more

The food had no flavor! I got fajitas on a hot plate & for a $25 dollar plate you would think your meat would be seasoned. My daughter's taco came with meat and a tortilla, I had to request cilantro and lime. Our server (skinny male, curly hair with glasses )had attitude! My margarita wasn't great. My queso fundido had yellow cheese! Spent $125 but I would rather spend that in a restaurant where people don't stare at you and give you attitude! read more

I was there last month service was ok it was right after the power outage food was good.

We happen to be driving home from Morro Bay. This is the halfway point and so convenient off the freeway. Our first time here and the service was fast and the food was fresh and hot. We will definitely eat here again when we are in the area. Husband got the shrimp tostada and he really enjoyed it. He wasn't sure because it is served cold but is was very fresh and tasty. I got the all meat combo and it was way too much food for me but it was also very good. read more

I've come here a lot and have always loved the food and the service. Today I came here and was attended by a waiter who never once covered his face properly while attending to guests. All the other employees were properly masked. The service was still good and the food delicious but this waiter's carelessness was not appreciated. read more

Chapala Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Santa Paula, California

Who thought this level of Mexican restaurant in this area! We came here after cornmaze hiking near by on Friday. Everyone's exceptionally happy! We all agreed the best Mexican food we ate here! Very clean and friendly service. Definitely a must go place! read more

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I enjoyed La Chapala. Enjoyed the complementary chips and salsa. Delicious Mexican food, great drinks, and great service! Will definitely be back! read more

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I love coming home and visiting chapalas! The molcajete is my favorite. Two people can easily share this. It has asada, chicken, chorizo, shrimp, nopales, and cheese. The salsa is so good! Their cheese dip with chorizo also a must. It's open and comfortable inside with a separate bar area. The staff are super friendly and attentive. Great for families or date night. If you're in Santa Paula, you're going to want to check them out! read more

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Tasty Mexican food with good service. Comfortable seating. Our server was super kind and helped us with what to get. Ended up getting chicken enchiladas. They were pretty good with very delicious beans and well seasoned rice. My son got the shrimp and they were too seasoned. Garlic galore! Good place if you are driving through and need some grub! read more

Recommended by Efrain at El Vaquero Guero. Wonderful ambience and decor. Friendly staff. The salsa has a fiery flavor, but not too spicy. Not sure how the main dishes taste yet since I'm writing this review before receiving our meal, but if the salsa is a sign of what's to come, the food will be great too. Update: salmon tropical and Baja burrito! Bomb!! Enough said. Eat here!! Before and after photos of Baja burrito. Demolished! read more

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I've been going to Chapala's and occasionally come over I feel this place hasn't disappointed me. I've both dined in before Covid and even now on Cinco De Mayo I ordered food for pick up and I love the crunchy tacos with chicken it comes with a salad, the dressing is delicious the quesadilla is cheesy big , it comes with guacamole and sour cream in individual containers and if you get chips and salsa they are delicious and a great portion. read more

Chapala Mexican Restaurant - Crunchy chicken tacos with salad it comes with - Mexican Near Me - Santa Paula, California

Excellent salsa. Good margaritas and good food. Plus, top notch service. I enjoyed it.